Our collective mentality when it comes to treating the epidemic in older adults is a pre-1983 one. We are in the dark in too many ways, working without the basic information and data we need to address this population. Thus, the need for new research, education and outreach is critical.

The face of AIDS in America is rapidly changing: It is getting older and grayer. Thanks to the medications that have prolonged the lives of so many with this disease, within the next five years, more than half of all Americans with HIV will be 50 or older.

Most depictions of sex, especially those referencing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the need for protection, are of young people. This topic, however, must quickly become part of our national discourse on aging.